From One Club To Another

A LA CARTE

Leo Bushey Has A Tough Task On His Plate: Feeding Dozens Of Fellow Top Chefs

July 17, 2008|By LINDA GIUCA; Courant Food Editor

As executive chef at the Hartford Club in downtown Hartford, Leo Bushey cooks for a sophisticated crowd that is well traveled and knowledgeable about fine dining.

But when Bushey dons his chef's toque today, he will be preparing a large tasting menu for an even tougher group of critics - fellow chefs from around the country.

Bushey is in Milan, Ohio, for the 2008 Food & Wine Celebration at the Culinary Vegetable Institute. The main event - an outdoor festival of food, wine, music, cooking demonstrations and an auction - will take place Saturday on the institute's grounds. The festivities will benefit Veggie U, a nonprofit organization working to combat childhood obesity by teaching fourth-graders about the connection between locally grown foods and health.

Bushey is one of about 45 chefs and wine experts, all with impressive credentials, lending their talents to the event. With the help of his sous chef, Joseph Bartlett, Bushey will oversee and cook for tonight's pre-event dinner for all of the participating chefs.

"I think I'll be a little nervous," said Bushey, who will feed about 90 guests. "These chefs are a little intimidating, but it will be fun as well."

He has planned a lavish buffet to make the most of the heirloom vegetables, microgreens and herbs grown at the Culinary Vegetable Institute. (Bushey buys these specialty items for use in the Hartford Club kitchen. The sales rep asked him if he would be interested in cooking at the event.) Bushey also is bringing in grass-fed beef and Nantucket diver sea scallops for the menu.

Besides the buffet, Bushey and his staff will prepare a sit-down dinner for 30 guests, including the president of Ohio State University, who is attending the event. "I'll do a spin-off [menu] on what I'm serving the chefs," he said.

A Connecticut native, Bushey studied culinary arts at Johnson & Wales University in Rhode Island, graduating in 1994. He cooked at five-star and four-diamond resorts in Arizona and California before returning to Connecticut to open Acqua Oyster Bar in Vernon. In 2007, he moved to the Hartford Club to become its executive chef. Acqua has since closed.

TOP DOG

Woody's, the hot dog emporium at 915 Main St. in Hartford, has cooked up some specials for summer eating. "We want people to know that, if they are coming to Hartford for any kind of event, they can afford to eat without taking out a mortgage," says Cindy Woods, who owns the restaurant with her husband, Gary.

At lunch and dinner, a hot dog with the trimmings and a Coors light beer costs $5. More expensive but a good value is the hot lobster roll dinner, including french fries and coleslaw, for $16.95. On Retro Thursday nights, the Woodses grill sausage and peppers in their outdoor dining area and serve cans of Schlitz and Schaffer beer.

Dogs are welcome in the outdoor dining area. "We have little dishes for your dog to have water while you're eating," Cindy Woods said. Some customers even order a hot dog for their dogs.

The Griswold Inn in Essex is taking good advantage of the summer season. It will feature "Summer Shellfish on Ice" in the wine bar from 5 to 6 p.m. Wednesday through Sunday. Raw-bar shrimp ($1 each) and oysters ($1.50 each) will be served in addition to a chef's seafood special. Alan Barone, the inn's general manager and wine director, will suggest wines to pair with the seafood. On Fridays at 5 p.m., the culinary staff will give a short cooking demonstration at the Essex Farm Market, which is open from 3 to 6 p.m. Chefs will prepare a sauce or dressing made from and suited to the fresh foods sold at the market and incorporate the recipe into the evening's menu. The wine bar is open Wednesday through Sunday beginning at 5 p.m., and the main dining room is open for lunch Monday through Saturday, 11:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m.; dinner, beginning at 5:30 p.m. daily; and brunch Sunday, 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Telephone: 860-767-1776.

Send restaurant news at least 10 days before publication to Linda Giuca at giuca@courant.com or 860-241-6453, or to MaryEllen Fillo at mfillo@courant.com, 860-241-3717 (phone) or 860-520-6927 (fax)